On Saturday, the Raiders announced their 4th, 5th, and 6th round draft picks from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas.
The Raiderettes and former players were on hand as the Thunderbirds got to see the NFL Draft play out live.
The soon-to-be Las Vegas @RAIDERS select P Johnny Townsend from Florida in the 5th round of the #NFLDraft18 at Nellis AFB. pic.twitter.com/vdNIFePgbm
— Barry White (@KTNVBarryWhite) April 28, 2018
The Raiderettes pose for a photo between draft picks while at Nellis AFB with the @AFThunderbirds. #NFLDraft2018 pic.twitter.com/5QgSRVJTD8
— Barry White (@KTNVBarryWhite) April 28, 2018
"It's kind of cool to actually see the process because you watch the draft picks on TV and you don't know how much communication and teamwork goes on behind the scenes," said Maj. Ray Geoffroy.
The rookies drafted on Saturday could be among the first players to make the move from Oakland to Las Vegas. The team is set to officially make the move for the 2020 season.
Here are the picks made from the NFL Draft on Saturday:
Round 1: Kolton Miller - Tackle
6 foot 8 inches, 310 pounds
Round Pick: 15; Overall Pick: 15
In his last season at UCLA, Miller was a starter in all 13 games at left tackle. UCLA was ranked third in the PAC 12 in total offense in 2017.
Round 2: P.J. Hall - Defensive Tackle
6 foot 1 inch, 310 pounds
Round Pick: 25; Overall Pick: 57
Hall was named the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year in the 2016-17 season for his work at Sam Houston State. He was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is given to the nation's top defensive player.
Round 3: Brandon Parker - Tackle
6 foot 7 inches, 310 pounds
Round Pick: 1; Overall Pick: 65
Parker has earned two straight Offensive Lineman of the Year awards from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. He previously played for North Carolina A&T, which had the MEAC's number one rushing offense for three straight seasons.
Round 3: Arden Key - Defensive End
6 feet 6 inches, 265 pounds
Round Pick: 23; Overall Pick: 87
Key opted to forgo his senior season at Louisiana State University to put his name into the 2018 NFL Draft. He started in 28 out of the 31 games he played with the university. With 21 sacks, he ties Gabe Northern for third place in LSU history.
Round 4: Nick Nelson - Cornerback
5 feet 11 inches, 208 pounds
Round Pick: 10; Overall Pick: 110
Nelson started all 14 games in his final season as a cornerback for Wisconsin. He also set a single-season school record and led the nation with 21 pass breakups in 2017.
Round 5: Maurice Hurst - Defensive Tackle
6 feet 2 inches, 282 pounds
Round Pick: 3; Overall Pick: 140
Hurst appeared in 46 games with 17 starts while playing for the University of Michigan. He earned the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player of Michigan award in 2017.
Round 5: Johnny Townsend - Punter
6 feet 1 inch, 202 pounds
Round Pick: 36; Overall Pick: 173
Townsend was named the University of Florida's all-time leading punter with 11,090 yards and 240 total punts. Also finished his SEC career with the fifth all-time in punting yards.
Round 6: Azeem Victor - Linebacker
6 feet 3 inches, 230 pounds
Round Pick: 42; Overall Pick: 216
Victor started in five out of the nine games he played in his final season at the University of Washington. In 2016, he started in 10 games and finished third on the team with 67 total tackles.
Round 7: Marcell Ateman - Wide Receiver
6 feet 4 inches, 220 pounds
Round Pick: 10; Overall Pick: 228
Ateman ranked second within the team at Oklahoma State with 59 receptions, 1,156 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He started in 10 out of 13 games in 2017.
